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I completely share your pain on this because I just recently attached bugnetting to my double layer. There is no easy way to do it like I wanted it done. I sewed my bugnetting down between the two layers of ripstop on on side of the hammock. This creates one major problem. You cannot sew the other side until you determine the lay of the hammock, which invariably results in more bugnetting than you need on the other side of the hammock.

So there are two things you must determine before a good course of action can be chosen. Do you want the bugnetting between the two layers of RS or are you okay with simply stitching the bugnetting down to the top of the RS???

If you want it between the two-layers, get ready for some headache. Let me know if this is how you want to do it and I will give you some pointers from my very recent experience doing it like this.

If you are okay with just stitching it down to the top or bottom of the RS, then do what everyone else has suggested. Have someone lay in the hammock that is pretty close to your height and stretch out the netting and begin pinning.

I've been considering this as well. One benefit for my project is that I'm only sewing to one side, then using the quarter-weight flop-over method on the other side. But I still need to shape the sewn side...

I'm probably going to set it up and pin it like y'all suggested, then trim the extra, then cut it out of another piece so I have a template. If I change shapes for later hammocks I can adjust from there as necessary.

This isn't precision science...it's cloth carpentry.

“Republics are created by the virtue, public spirit, and intelligence of the citizens. They fall when the wise are banished from the public councils because they dare to be honest, and the profligate are rewarded because they flatter the people, in order to betray them.” ~Judge Joseph Story

I had previously looked at the HC4U's HH clone instructions and it made sense. Except I didn't think it would work well for what I had in mind with two side pullouts (one on each side at shoulder level), instead of one at the foot and one at the shoulder. That seemed to skew his diagram a bit and I wasn't sure it how that would work out. I will take a closer look at it.

Schneiderlein, I will get some measurements along with a picture of what I am thinking later tonight. Curious to see your calculations.

Opie, I was in the same dilema, but decided to go with grosgain ribbon around the perimeter. So I won't be sewing the bugnet between the two layers, instead I will sandwich the ripstop layers and the bugnet together with the grosgain on the outside.

I should also say that my fall back is to get my wife to lay in it while I fiddle and pin it up. My only issue with this is it can be costly. lol

Jeff, I failed carpentry class....I seem to have problems measuring twice and cutting once....so this is new ground for me.

It is actually a 2D problem! The length of the ridgeline determines the baseline of the triangle. The length of the hammock fabric tells you what the two other sides add up to. If you know where the pull-out is, the triangle is fully determined.

it's true I don't need a spreadsheet for a triangle, or any other regular geometric shape.

So in truth my bugnets have all with one exception been for bridge hammocks. And there it is a 3D problem. 4D really, because time is the 4th dimension and making a bug-net net takes a lot of it.

The only thing I have to add is either pinning or the HH clone instrucions are amazingly forgiving. Just having it pretty close totally works. It seems to take up the slack and doesn't pull to the point of ripping anything.

Opie, I was in the same dilema, but decided to go with grosgain ribbon around the perimeter. So I won't be sewing the bugnet between the two layers, instead I will sandwich the ripstop layers and the bugnet together with the grosgain on the outside.

That will allow you to get a lot of the slack out (as you said you wanted to do) and be much easier. Definitely have someone lay in it and pin it or use a sharpie. Maybe pin the corner points to keep it from shifting and then outline it with your sharpie giving your self an inch or two for play and the hemmed edge.

There is nothing magic about the formula. You need to know the length of the hammock fabric between start of bugnet and end of bugnet. That is probably somewhere between 10" and 20" shorter than the overall hammock length. The second thing you need to know is the length of your ridgeline between those points when the hammock is hung. The last variable is the location of your pull-outs. The shape of the bugnet is independent of the width of your hammock fabric. Post those measurements and I'll make you a drawing of the bugnet shape.

Ok, so here is what I got doing a quick measurement:

Ridge line Length: 106"
Length of hammock (start of bug net to end of bug net): 123"
Tie out distance from start of bug net on each side: 34"

I have attached a figure that shows the resulting bugnet based on the dimensions. My understanding was that you want the tie outs symmetric, not asym. If this is wrong, post a quick note and I'll make the asym diagram. The diagram does not include any seam allowances.

Have your tried the tie-outs in those locations? Seems like they are awful close to the end.